1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the electronic generation of music. More particularly this invention pertains to "triggering" devices for use with one or more electronic synthesizers. For instance "drum triggers" are used to control or "trigger" electronic synthesizers to produce drum-like sounds that have been stored in the digital memory of the synthesizer. The input of the "drum trigger" is typically obtained from an electrical transducer attached to either a standard drum or drum pad. The live drummer strikes the drum or drum pad which causes the "drum trigger," in turn, to output a pulse or trigger which causes the electronic synthesizer to produce the desired drum sound.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typically, a prior art "drum trigger" uses a peak amplitude threshold comparator for comparing the signal obtained from the drum or drum pad to a reference threshold. The reference threshold is adjusted by the drummer so that the "drum trigger" operates in response to the drummer's striking of the drum or drum pad with a drum stick. In such a simple peak amplitude threshold comparator the threshold must be set at a relatively high level so that the drum trigger is not triggered by background sounds such as cross talk between drums or by the "ringing" of the drums. As a consequence this technique suffers from a lack of satisfactory operation over a wide dynamic range of drum strokes. The prior art device also typically exhibits only a limited ability to respond accurately to rapid drumming patterns.